Runway marker lighting means



Feb. 27, 1945. SAMUEL 2,370,424

RUNWAY MARKER LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 21, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet l Zmventor S. SAMUEL attorney Feb. 27, 1945.

RUNWAY MARKER LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 21, 1942 3 Sheets-Shqet 2 Imventor S. SAMUEL (Ittomeg s. SAMUEL 2,370,424

Feb. 27, 1945.

s. SAMUEL 2,370,424

RUNWAY MARKER LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 21, 1942 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 3 l'mventor S. SAMUEL attorney Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE RUNWAY MARKER LIGHTING MEANS Sigmund Samuel, Baltimore, Md.

Application May 21, 1942, Serial No. 444,001

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-12) This invention relates to landing fields for airplanes and more particularly to an improved type of airport especially adapted to be used in time of war.

An object of'the invention is to provide an im- 4 proved landing field for airplanes which is so constructed that the field is not visible to persons in airplanes, etc., from a height above the field.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved airport in which one or more runways for airplanes are invisible from above.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved airport having. invisible runways adapted to be made visible either for pilots taking off in airplanes or for pilots desiring to land airplanes.

Another objcct of the invention is to provide an improved airport in which the runways are constructed of the same color or colors as the color or colors of the field so as to be indistinguishable therefrom from above.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved landing place for airplanes which can be constructed either on the ground or on the deck of a vessel in such a manner as to render the landing place invisible from above.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be hereinafter more fully described.

I the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of an airport or landin field for airplanes embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of a portion of the grating.

Referring to the drawings, as shown in- Fig. l, a -field or the like I i, may have one or more runways 32 arranged thereon as take oiT and landing places for airplanes.

The runways l2 may be arranged in any desired manner, and said runways may be of any length and breadth, for the purpose for which they are constructed.

Preferably in constructing the airplane field, the surface of the field I l, as well as the surface of the runways l2, should be so constructed, that from points high in the air above the field, the runways will not be distinguishable from the other portions of the field.

In other words, according to the present invention; in order to make the airport invisible, the runways l2 may be constructed of cement or concrete, or of black top or'macadam, Or any other suitable material, in well known manner. Then, in order to have the runways invisible, the surfaces of the runways should be painted or colored so as to correspond substantially with the rest of the field, as indicated at l3, Fig. l.

The invention also comprehends the construction of the runways l2 and other parts of the airport in such a manner and with such materials that the entire structure of the airport is camoufiaged, or otherwise rendered indistinguishable'as an airplane landing place.

Since the runways 12 are thus, according to the present invention, rendered indistinguishable from other parts of the airport, in order that pilots can readily distinguish the runways from the rest of the field when either taking oil in an airplane or about to land an airplane, it is proposed to visibly mark each runway.

In order to visibly mark each runway, a trench M is constructed lengthwise of the runway, and preferably along the longitudinal center line thereof. The trench may have the configuration shown in Fig. 2.

At a point a suitable distance below the surface of the runway there is formed a tunnel or cavity 15. This cavity, which is arranged along the longitudinal center line of the runway, may be rectangular in form, having four inclined refleeting surfaces 18, ll, i8 and 99 which are an" gularly disposed as shown.

Extending upwardly from the cavity I5, is a vertical slot 28 which terminates at the surface of the runway 52.

At each side of the upper portion of the slot 28 there is a recess 2! which provides a seat for a grating or otherforaminous element 22, I

The grating 22 may have any desired design of openings formed therein, and said grating should be constructed in such a manner that light rays from lamps in the cavity- IE will be readily visible therethrough. Preferably the top of the grating should be substantially flush with the surface of the runway and the grating should be of strong construction so as to support the weight of heavy vehicles, etc. passing thereover.

Beneath the cavity i5, and in communication therewith,is a groove or tube 25, which is arranged in parallel relationship with the cavity a longitudinal pocket 28 is formed at one side of the longitudinal center of said cavity, and a longitudinal pocket 21 is formed at the other side of the longitudinal center of said cavity, said pockets being disposed beneath the inclined walls l8, l8, respectively, and also being at each side of the slot 20.

Disposed in the pocket 26 and arranged in Darallel relationship with the longitudinal center of the cavity I5, is a conduit 28.

A similar conduit 29 is arranged in the pocket 21.

At suitable intervals, each conduit 28, 28 has installed therein, sockets 30 for electric light bulbs 3|.

The lights 3| are arranged in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Preferably two sets of lights are carried by each conduit 28, 29. One set of lights may be white, and the other set of lights may be either red, green, blue or some other color of light clearly distinguishable at a distance from the white lights and also clearly visible in the day time.

Mounted in each conduit and not shown, are two sets of wires, one set for each set of lights. Suitable means, also not shown, may be provided for controlling from a distant point, the two light circuits, so that when desired, either set of lights can be illuminated.

Since the runways I2 are invisible in the day time, as well as at night, when a runway is to be used during the day, the set of colored lights is adapted to be illuminated, and when the runway is to be used at night the white or clear lights are adapted to be illuminated.

Each runway should have its own lighting circult, so that only the runway that is to be used will be illuminated, whether or not it is during the day or during the night.

The surfaces of the walls I6, I1, l8 and I9, as

well as the surfaces of the walls of the slot 20 may be coated with suitable material by which light rays emanating from the bulbs 3| will be reflected upwardly through the slot 20 and through the grating 22.

The light bulbs 3| are adapted to be so disposed within the cavity l5 that sufflcient light will be projected from the device upwardly through the grating as to clearly indicate the location of the runway, irrespective of the time of day or night.

The heat from the light bulbs 3| will act as means for defrosting any ice or snow which may accumulate in the device. Water from melting ice and snow will readily flow into the drain provided by the tube 25, due to the configuration of the cavity l5.

Due to the disposition of the lights 3| within the cavity l5, there will not be any glare reflected or directed by the device into the eyes of a pilot, when a pilot is taking off in an airplane or landing an airplane.

Air fields or even boats having landing decks constructed in the above described manner will be particularly useful in time of war, since the runways are so constructed that enemy pilots will not be able to distinguish the same from high altitudes, even when flares are dropped thereon or adjacent thereto.

While the foregoing describes one embodiment of the invention, it is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of e invention herein chosen for the purposes of t e disclosure, which do not. constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Lighting means for an airplane landing space, comprising an elongated cavity formed below the surface of the airplane landing space, said cavity having a pair of spaced substantially vertical side walls extending downwardly from the surface of the airplane landing space a suitable distance, an inclined side wall extending downwardly and outwardly from the lower edge of each said vertical side wall, a second inclined side wall extending downwardly and inwardly from the lower edge of each said outwardly extending inclined side wall, said inclined side walls constituting longitudinal pockets having light reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the cavity, said pairs of reflecting surfaces being disposed a suitable distance below the surface of the airplane landing space and being separated therefrom by said pair of vertical side walls, and a series of lights arranged in said longitudinally disposed pockets on opposite sides of the center of said cavity.

2. A runway marker light comprising an elongated tunnel formed below the surface of the runway and substantially coextensive therewith, said tunnel having a pair of spaced substantially vertical side walls extendin downwardly from the surface of the runway, an inclined side wall extending downwardly and outwardly from the lower edge of each said vertical side wall, a second inclined side wall extending downwardly and inwardly from the bottom of each said outwardly extending inclined side wall, said inclined side walls constituting longitudinal pockets having reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs on ODDOSite sides of the longitudinal center line of the tunnel, said pockets being spaced apart a distance greater than the space between the vertical side walls of the tunnel and being disposed below the surface of the runway a distance equal to the height of the vertical side walls, and a series of lights arranged in said pockets on opposite sides of the center of said cavity.

3. Lighting means for an airport runway, comprising a single tunnel arranged along the longitudinal center line of said runway, said tunnel having an elongated pair of spaced substantially vertical parallel side walls extending downwardly from the surface of said runway, an inclined wall extending downwardly and outwardly from the lower edge of each said vertical side wall, a sec ond inclined side wall extending downwardly and inwardly from the lower end of each said outwardly extending inclined side walls, each pair of inclined side walls being arranged in the form of a so as to provide a longitudinal pocket at each side of the tunnel and spaced from the longitudinal center line thereof, the walls of said tunnel having light reflecting surfaces, said -shaped pockets being spaced from the surface of said runway by said vertical side walls, and a series of varicolored lights arranged in said pockets for illuminating said runway during both day and night.

SIGMUND SAMUEL. 

